Asterion Asterion remembers the story. But he is no half-dead orphan, hiding in a bramble patch, and none of them are innocent, here. The currency of Novus seems to him to be strength – who is willing to pay, and how much. He is not ready to open such a debt, and so he must be ready. That is why he stands, unmoved by the breeze, unmoved by the summer sun, intent on the warrior stalking him now. But Asterion is inexperienced, and more than that he is still, after all, just a horse. When he sees the chestnut cutting toward him (squinting a little against the afternoon sun) it is the tail he is most concerned about, and it is the tail he shies from, just as Raymond had anticipated he would. They bay plants his hind legs, and pivots his forelegs, and snakes his head away from that glinting blade. For his instinct he is repaid in blood: it wells, stinging, from his hock to his fetlock as the red’s hoof rakes him, and as he cries out he knows how lucky he is that Raymond is not an enemy. It is the first time he has bled from another’s hand, but lessons are not meant to be easy. It is instinct Asterion continues to follow next; like a rodeo mustang the bay’s forelegs find the earth and his hindquarters lift, shifting from movement to movement. There is little time for Raymond to have moved out of range with his own attack just ending, and his body shifted in: Asterion kicks out with both hind feet and hopes for impact. He would be glad of striking chest or face or forelegs, too, no matter that any impact on his injured leg will draw another gasp of pain. As soon as his hooves touch ground again he grits his teeth and favors the leg, but he cannot avoid the pain for long. Wary of gopher-holes, aware of Raymond’s likely quickness and that his back leg might not take a rear, Asterion opts to stay put, his focus on shifting to keep the chestnut’s tail-blade as far from his face as he can. @Raymond |
Summary: Asterion acts as Raymond anticipates, shying from the tail blade and taking the blow to his hind leg (we'll say the right). As soon as he plants his front feet from the pivot he kicks out his back feet, looking to hit whatever's in range from Raymond. After, favoring his injured leg, he tries to keep his hindquarters facing Raymond.
Attack Used: 1
Attack(s) Left: 1
Block Used: 0
Block(s) Left: 1
Item(s) Used: NA
Response Deadline: 5/3/18
Tags: @Raymond, @
